2 (formerly 3) grown ups sharing a kitchen in inner city Melbourne. Both determined to eat very well for under $10/meal each. A place to share recipes, stories and cooking tips and, of course, to convert "meal in a box" believers and takeout food regulars

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

It has been a really crazy week and I was struggling to come up with something exciting for this week's MM post. That was until I found this very simple fried recipe in my little "black book". This is another childhood favourite; I remember quite vividly how we used to fight over the last piece of chicken whenever this was served, try it and you will understand why. If you not a fan of deep frying for whatever reason; simply pan fry chicken pieces for a few minutes on each side and bake in a hot oven until golden.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Too soon to have raw fish again? Not at the tummies' household! I was meant to be making makizushi but since my bamboo mat was nowhere to be found, we ended up having this very colourful chirashizushi instead. It is delicious, healthy and dead easy to prepare but make sure you are using shashimi grade fish of course. If this is your kind of meal, make sure you check out my previous post - chopped tuna rice bowl.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Staying in but don't feel like cooking? Not a problem! I did just that with this healthy treat on a warm autumn evening. With shashimi grade fish readily available at the fishmongers these days, it is possible to create simple and healthy Japanese dishes such as this at home.

We can't possibly enjoy any Japanese meal without being reminded of the heart wrenching disaster that salvaged Japan 2 weeks ago. If you have not make a donation via the usual channels, a Japanese cultural festival will be held at the Federation Square this afternoon in a bid to raise funds for disaster relief for Japan. For more informations please click here.

P.S I met up with some bloggers for the first time last night, it was a lively and very enjoyable night. Links will be put up when our meeting is posted by my new friends.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

I have to apologize for another much delayed MM post - I can only blame it to a very hectic start to the week and "internetless" at home. I prepared this when my dear friend A came over for lunch several weekends ago, the reason why some skinned and boned meat was added too. This is another of my favourite dishes from the wonderful noodle stall back in Cameron Highlands I mentioned often and I am extremely happy with my first attempt at recreating it at home. The red cooked pork knuckle can also be served as part of a Chinese meal with rice and perhaps a simple stir fried greens. For a halal version, try using lamb shins instead.

serves 6 as a one dish mealyou'll need;
2 pork knuckles, cut into large pieces (get you butcher to do this for you)

Bring stock to a boil and add in the spices and seasonings, return the pork pieces to the pot.

Cover and simmer until the pork is very tender (~2 hours) and the sauce is thick and sticky.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, meanwhile prepare the sauce for the noodles. Cook noodles for 15 seconds, remove and rinse in a big pot of cold water. When the pot of water returns to a rapid boil, add noodles and cook for another 15 seconds. Blanch choysum or bokchoy briefly. Mix noodles in the prepare sauce/dressing.

Top the dressed noodles with pork knuckles with some of the delicious sauce, top with chopped spring onions and fried shallots. Don't forget the chillies!

My friend Sharon from Test With A Skewer will be hosting the March event. Please send all your entries to its.sharon.gmail.com, to find out more about the event please click HERE.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

We had a steak night at the tummies' again and this time I have chosen a side dish that is so delicious I would be happy to do without the beautiful piece of steak.... well almost. I simply love the versatility of this humble vegetable - try cooking it this way if raw fennel in a crisp salad doesn't do it for you. This will go beautifully with a piece of grilled or pan-fried fish as suggested by Nigel Slater in his cookbook - "Real Cooking". It is coming into fennel season now and I will be sharing with you a few more dishes using this wonderful bulb in the coming months.

recipe for fennel from Nigel Slater's Real Food

serves 2 as a one dish meal

you'll need;

2 pieces of steak of your choice, trimmed of excess fat

3 medium size fennel, quartered

75 g of butter

1 lemon

grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil for cooking

hot mustard or horseradish cream to serve

Cut fennel bulbs into quarters just before cooking as they discolour rather quickly after cutting.

Melt butter in a pan then add the fennel. Brown fennel for a minute or two over medium heat, turn and cook the other side.

Pour in enough water to come half way up the vegetable. Squeeze in the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil then cover and simmer over low heat until the fennel is tender (~20 minutes).

Remove lid and turn up the heat. Cook until a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid is left, scatter a handful of grated parmesan cheese over. Put the lid back and cook for a further 1 to 2 minutes.

Grill steaks on a hot griddle or bbq to your liking, you can start this once the fennel has been cooking for 10 minutes. Remember to rest the beef before serving (1/2 of the cooking time).

Serve steak with the slow cooked fennel and spoon some of the delicious pan juice over.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

I made another hearty Italian meal during the week to combat the chilly autumn night. This recipe is very similar to the wild rabbit ragu I made last year, if you are not too comfortable dealing with rabbit this will be a perfect alternative. And if you are not a pork eater or want a halal version, simply replace the pork with lamb using the same cut and omit the red wine. Have a great weekend and happy cooking!

Saute garlic and onion until soften then add in the pasatta. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes before returning the pork to the pan. Add herbs, red wine and seasonings, cover and simmer until pork is very tender (~1.5 - 2 hours).

Remove pork from the pot and shred into large pieces when cool enough to handle.

Return shredded pork to the pan and simmer for a further 20 minutes. Check for seasonings.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pappardelle until al dente. Drain well.

Divide pasta among bowls and top with a generous amount of the delicious pork ragu. Serve with grated parmesan and some chopped parsley.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

It is getting cold here in Melbourne and it is also time for me to start making soups and stews. I was not too convinced when I first went through the ingredients list but I must admit the end result is a very satisfactory one, who would have thought? This is yet another recipe from The Italian Cookbook Collector's Edition by Gourmet Traveller butI had made some slight changes. The original recipe asks for curly endive but I substituted with some leftover cavolo nero instead.

It doesn't look like I will be able to come up with a Malaysian Monday post this week but I will make sure I will have some very special dishes for the coming week.

P.S It is St. Patrick's Day today and I must get home before the town turns green by mmm... drunks!